OLD Nikon D70 to connect to M1 Mac mini - possible?

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Level 1

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OLD Nikon D70 to connect to M1 Mac mini - possible?

I don't know if i should post this in a camera group. or here. My older (2006) Nikon D70 camera - two ways to access computer - directly or a card reader. Neither are working on my Sonoma m1 or my older 2012 Catalina Imac... any ideas what i can try, or buy? so that i can still use this camera- i know.. it's old. but still takes awesome photos - the rare times i need it to. Is there any app i need to buy? a new cable ? any help would be appreciated. before i added Catalina to my older imac that was the computer i used to upload photos from this camera.

Mac mini, macOS 14.6

Posted on Oct 12, 2024 3:10 PM

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Answer 1

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Allan Jones

Level 9

71,750 points

Oct 13, 2024 9:48 AM in response to jojodesign

I suspect you are describing that nothing mounts when you try to access your images.

As I Nikon user I can testify that the card formatting Nikon has used in the past is not one natively recognized by macOS. Your need a translator to make this happen. Otherwise it's like the camera or its card were never connected

One option is the image management software that Nikon makes. The learning curve is, I find, rather steep. However, something far easier is already installed on your Mini. See:

Transfer images in Image Capture on Mac - Apple Support

When I connect my D5000 to my iMac by cable, or put its card in a card reader, absolutely nothing shows on the Desktop or in the Finder. However, opening Image Capture instantly shows this:

It is the easiest way I found to quickly access my Nikon images, and you already own Image Capture.

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Answer 2

Oct 13, 2024 10:13 AM in response to Allan Jones

Allan Jones wrote:

I suspect you are describing that nothing mounts when you try to access your images.

As I Nikon user I can testify that the card formatting Nikon has used in the past is not one natively recognized by macOS.

The Nikon D50 I was using (same era as D70) worked fine with OS X with a USB CF card reader, though the FAT formatting within the camera was often wonky. It usually worked with an externally-formatted CF.

Microsoft neglected to document FAT for aeons, so everybody had their own implementations. Some were better than others.

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Answer 3

jojodesign Author

Level 1

20 points

Oct 13, 2024 10:21 AM in response to Allan Jones

this did it. thank you so much!! i forget all the apps i have. Took a bit of wiggling the cable but image capture saw it and i downloaded the photos. :) thank you

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Answer 4

jojodesign Author

Level 1

20 points

Oct 13, 2024 10:23 AM in response to Allan Jones

Thank you!! it worked.

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Answer 5

Oct 12, 2024 3:45 PM in response to jojodesign

What might you mean by “does not work” here?

What have you tried, with what add-ons. and what happened when you tried it?

Any error messages shown?

For CF-media-based transfers… I’d expect a reputable USB-C-connected CF card reader with a FAT-format CF card from a Nikon D70 to be readable in various macOS hardware configurations.

PS: here’s the Nikon D70 manual, if you’ve not already found it:

https://cdn-10.nikon-cdn.com/pdf/manuals/dslr/D70_en.pdf

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Answer 6

jojodesign Author

Level 1

20 points

Oct 12, 2024 6:00 PM in response to MrHoffman

thank you for the manual. i lost that a decade ago. i will revisit. i was under the impression that older cables will not work with newer macs? < it could be this? not sure.

It did not work in 4 separate instances. i plugged the cable from hardrive to the camera on 2 separate macs . and then i pulled out the CF card and put in a card reader and did the same. Plugged it in to the M1 mini directly. and then my 2012 Imac. and nothing happened. no error messages on the camera body.

becuase i have used these cables in the past with out issue on the 2012 I mac - this led me to think its not hardware but software? just confused on what to try without spending money - yet...

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Answer 7

Oct 12, 2024 6:29 PM in response to jojodesign

Cables can fail.

USB communications are compatible, though the connectors and capabilities can vary.

Here’s a USB-C to USB-B 5-pin mini cable that’ll probably work with an older pre-Wi-Fi Nikon camera:

https://www.amazon.com/AGVEE-Braided-Durable-Charging-Controller/dp/B094RHQLL2/

If a particular CF card reader is not working, try a different reader. Preferably one from a reputable vendor.

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